Inter hit stride as Juve and Fiorentina stall

Champions Inter opened up a three-point lead at the top of the table with a thumping 5-0 win at hapless Genoa in Serie A last night.

And Inter's joy was boosted by the 1-1 draw between title rivals Juventus and Fiorentina in Turin.

Sampdoria could still join Inter on 19 points at the summit if they win at Lazio today.

But this was a day when Jose Mourinho's Inter struck a significant blow in the Serie A title race, earning a crushing victory on one of the toughest grounds to visit - on which they had already lost once this season to Samp.

First-half goals from Esteban Cambiasso, Mario Balotelli and a Dejan Stankovic stunner had the leaders over the hill and out of sight before the break.

Cambiasso's opener on six minutes had a touch of fortune about it as Maicon rose highest to meet Wesley Sneijder's free-kick into the box and as the ball dropped to Cambiasso he hooked a weak shot towards goal that was set to bounce harmlessly into Marco Aurelia's hands before Salvatore Bocchetti inadvertently diverted it in.

On 31 minutes Inter won back the ball in midfield and Sneijder quickly released Balotelli to shoot home first time from the edge of the box.

Inter were playing well but Genoa were not helping their cause and Amelia's fluffed punt upfield when he was well out of position dropped to Stankovic out wide on the right and almost on the halfway line.

But what the Serbian did next was sheer genius as he met the ball full on the volley to score from 50 yards with Amelia an embarrassed spectator.

Substitute Patrick Vieira added the fourth and Maicon wrapped up the victory as Inter continued to dominate after the break.

In rainy Turin, both Juventus and Fiorentina could have gone top, if only for a couple of hours, with a win but had to settle for a share of the spoils on a tricky pitch.

Juan Vargas opened the scoring for the visitors but Amauri scored his first goal of the season for the hosts.

Worryingly for Juventus, this was their fourth Serie A game and fifth in all competitions in a row without a victory, in fact they have won only one of their last seven matches.

The visitors were far happier as this result demonstrates they are true title challengers.

"We have to be satisfied with this performance on a difficult pitch," said Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli.

"The most important aspect is that last year we were happy with a point earned in Turin whereas now the lads are a bit down in the dressing room because they realise that they deserved something more."

Fiorentina were off to a flying start as playmaker Stevan Jovetic escaped the attentions of Fabio Cannavaro and Zdenek Grygera and slipped in Vargas, who held off Christian Poulsen and beat Gianluigi Buffon after just five minutes.

But that only angered the hosts who soon came hurtling back with Vincenzo Iaquinta guilty of some profligate finishing, which eventually led to an equaliser on 19 minutes.

He shot straight at goalkeeper Sebastien Frey from eight yards out before then poking wide from barely six yards out but his third miss was his worst and yet inadvertently set up team-mate Amauri.

Played in behind Fiorentina's porous defence, Iaquinta completely hooked his shot on the turn well off target, but the ball ran across goal where the unmarked Amauri had the simple task of tapping into an empty net.